Main Guard (Gibraltar)

Main Guard
1830s painting by Dibdin depicting Commercial Square, with the Exchange and Commercial Library (center, left) and the Main Guard (right, side view).
Main Guard (Gibraltar) is located in Gibraltar
Main Guard (Gibraltar)
Location of the Main Guard in Gibraltar.
General information
TypeGuardhouse
Architectural styleGeorgian
Address13 John Mackintosh Square
CountryGibraltar
Coordinates36°08′26″N 5°21′15″W / 36.14062°N 5.354147°W / 36.14062; -5.354147
Current tenantsGibraltar Heritage Trust
OwnerGovernment of Gibraltar

The Main Guard is a historic, 18th-century guardhouse in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. While the exact date of its construction is unknown, it is the oldest building in John Mackintosh Square. The French artist Henri Regnault produced three paintings while a visitor at the Main Guard. After being displayed at the guardhouse for many years, they are now kept at the Gibraltar National Museum. The building's function has changed with the centuries. The Main Guard first served as a guardhouse; in the 20th century, it functioned as a fire station, bath house, and government offices. Since 2001, the building has housed the Gibraltar Heritage Trust and underwent restoration in 2011. It hosts the tourist information office of Gibraltar.